Parking assistance systems are devices or systems intended to facilitate parking of a motor vehicle. Such parking assistance systems exist in many different forms, as briefly described in the following. With parking assistance systems the distance of a motor vehicle from an object is ascertained with acoustic or electromagnetic waves, and this is then indicated acoustically and/or optically to the driver.
The purely acoustic version indicates the distance by modulating the frequency of the warning tones (tone pitch), i.e., the frequency continues to increase until a continuous tone is emitted, which is understood as signaling a very small distance. Alternatively the interval frequency can be used. Optically operating systems use LED lights, a diagram on the screen or a camera picture to indicate the approach to an object. In addition, when distances are short and the warning tones increase until a continuous tone is emitted, these LEDs can warn of an imminent collision. Also, there exist parking assistants, which fully automatically perform the parking maneuvers necessary for maneuvering the car into the parked position.
DE 10 2009 058 544 A1 describes a well-known method for operating a driver assistance system for supporting the driver during the parking maneuver. Here the distance to an object ahead of the vehicle is recorded and the recorded distance is output optically and/or acoustically to the driver of the vehicle. The recorded distance to the object is determined more precisely in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle with a recorded turning movement of at least one vehicle wheel. Admittedly this driver assistance system is very precise in recording the distance to an object. But even here it may happen that the driver is warned too early or too late.
Against this background it is at least one to provide an improved parking assistance system. In addition, other objects, desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.